Brumby Rescue

by Soraya Nicholas

  ‘I had to,’ Aunt Sophie said simply. ‘I was so nervous I was shaking, but I went over and groomed him, saddled him up, and then made myself get on. He went to turn, I kept the reins firm, and once I was up I had the most awesome ride.’

  ‘So you think I need to try again with him, is that what you’re trying to say to me?’ Poppy asked. She took a few steps away from Sophie and helped herself to a muesli bar, tearing the wrapper off, trying to delay things further. But as she was about to take a bite, she suddenly remembered.

  The lump. She’d forgotten all about the lump in Storm’s face. She spun around.

  ‘Yes, you definitely –’

  ‘He has this weird lump in his cheek,’ she said, interrupting her aunt. ‘I was looking at it just before he bit me.’

  Sophie’s eyes widened. ‘A lump? How big was it?’

  ‘I’m not sure now, but it looked weird. I thought it was strange I hadn’t noticed it before, but I’ve never actually been that close to him.’

  ‘I might call Mark,’ Sophie said. ‘Get him to have a look.’

  Poppy stared at her aunt. ‘What could it be? Something wrong in his mouth?’

  ‘Sometimes horses pack grass or hay into their cheek to try to relieve a sore or sharp tooth. If it’s bad, then maybe that’s what is affecting his personality.’

  Poppy stood up a little straighter, suddenly filled with hope. What if there was something wrong with him and it wasn’t just her?

  ‘We have to trust our instincts when it comes to animals, because they can’t tell us what’s wrong or what hurts,’ Aunt Sophie explained. ‘You might be on to something, Pops.’

  Poppy grinned. ‘Because it’s super weird that a horse hasn’t fallen in love with me?’

  Aunt Sophie gave her a playful punch on the arm and Poppy howled like it had really hurt.

  ‘Any more smart comments and I’ll get your sore arm next time,’ Sophie said. ‘Now come on, let’s talk to Mark and see what he has to say.’

  Poppy stuffed some muesli bar into her mouth and followed Sophie. Part of her wanted to hide away from Storm forever, but she knew that wasn’t the right thing to do. He was her horse and she needed to figure out how to get through to him, even if she was scared of getting up close again.

  ‘Do I have to help catch him?’ Poppy mumbled as she stuck her feet into her boots.

  ‘No,’ Sophie called over her shoulder. ‘You can stay on the other side of the fence if you like, so long as you’re watching and listening to whatever Mark has to say.’

  Please let there be something wrong with him, Poppy prayed. It would be so much better than him just hating humans.

  Her friends would be back from their ride soon and she hoped she had something to tell them, that Mark had found something, anything, that meant Storm didn’t just want to kill her for no good reason.

  ‘Poppy, can you come in here?’ asked Uncle Mark, standing in the middle of the yard.

  Poppy swallowed and climbed down from where she’d been watching her aunt and uncle in deep discussion. She eyed the brumby warily, certain he was going to see her and lunge forward from his corner, teeth bared and ready to chomp.

  ‘I should have examined him properly when he first arrived, but I was hoping it could wait until he trusted us. I think we have to do it now and the only way is to sedate him. We’re not going to be able to catch him, so I need you to get him to follow Missy.’

  ‘You want me to use her to get him in there?’ Poppy asked, pointing to the smaller yard with the cattle crush in it. Mark had the connecting gate open, and it was the only way for him to safely inspect the horse.

  ‘Exactly. I think he needs another horse to follow.’

  ‘Do you want me to ride or lead her?’ Poppy asked, her stomach doing a weird kind of flippy thing as she thought about going near the brumby again.

  ‘I think ride her in bareback,’ said Aunt Sophie. ‘But don’t forget your helmet.’

  Poppy wondered if her aunt had forgotten that she wasn’t supposed to be using her arm, or the fact that it hurt like crazy again. But she wasn’t about to remind her.

  She sprinted to the stables and into the tack shed, grabbed the halter, lead rope and her helmet, and ran back out to get Missy, putting her helmet on at the same time.

  ‘Missy!’ she called out. ‘Come on, girl!’

  She climbed the yard gate and dropped a kiss to Missy’s soft muzzle, then slipped the halter on, making pretend reins by tying the loose end of the rope through the halter and knotting it, like she did with Crystal. She leapt up onto Missy’s back, keeping her injured arm out of the way. She was so used to riding bareback that balancing wasn’t a big deal, although Missy was so small Poppy felt like she was knocking her around the back of her knees.

  Poppy nudged her heels gently into Missy’s side and they walked until they reached the gate to the smaller yard. Poppy felt that familiar knot in her tummy again as they neared the brumby.

  ‘We have a job to do,’ she whispered to Missy. ‘I know you love me, but this one doesn’t and somehow we need to change that.’

  ‘Poppy, walk in and wait for me. But take it slow,’ Mark called out.

  Poppy glanced up and saw the anxious look on Sophie’s face. Her aunt never looked worried around horses, and Poppy straightened her back, staying strong and firm with Missy. This was serious, and if the brumby didn’t stay calm, things could go horribly wrong.

  ‘Just slow, girl,’ Poppy whispered, hardly louder than a breath of air. ‘We’re just going to help him into the yards.’

  Poppy tensed, her body going stiff, but she didn’t take her eyes off the brumby for more than a moment as she gently nudged Missy on. Storm looked worried, but he slowly moved with Missy. His ears flicked forward instead of staying back, and it changed his whole face, made him look so handsome, like the horse she’d fallen in love with at the auction.

  He shifted his weight, his back legs moving, just like he had before he’d lunged at her, and flutters of fear went through Poppy as she thought of Storm doing the same to Missy. But he didn’t, and instead of taking flight, he slowly moved closer to Missy.

  They were doing it.

  Poppy tried not to get too excited, but to see her brumby walking beside them, his body so much more relaxed than it had ever been, made her smile. It also reminded her of the reasons she’d wanted to save him, how majestic he’d looked that day, nostrils flared and body rigid.

  Poppy didn’t say a word because she didn’t want to startle him, and part of her wondered if he had even noticed her on Missy’s back. Missy was on her best behaviour, even though her ears were darting sideways and forward, excited and curious about what they were doing.

  As he moved through the gate with them, Storm snorted, obviously catching sight of Uncle Mark. Poppy soothed Missy with one hand to her neck, urging her forward, and Missy trusted her command and walked into the smaller yard even though she’d never been in there before. The brumby lurched forward, startling Poppy with his speed, and thumped into Missy’s rump. The pony flattened her ears and Poppy growled quietly at her, not wanting the mare to kick out in retaliation in the small space. Her arm was throbbing, but she tried her hardest to ignore it.

  The gate shut and Uncle Mark looked as triumphant as she felt when he grinned at her.

  ‘Good work, Popster,’ he said.

  ‘What now?’ she asked, voice low as she kept an eye on the brumby. He was as relaxed as she’d seen him, but he was staying close to Missy and she wasn’t so sure about being in such a tightly confined space with them both in case things went wrong.

  ‘Let’s get you out of there,’ Aunt Sophie said.

  Poppy shifted on Missy’s back as the brumby moved, sniffing at her leg. She could hardly breathe and her heart started to race. All she could imagine were his teeth gnashing down on her leg.

  Missy quivered beneath her, and Poppy knew she wasn’t helping the situation with the nerves she was transferring to the pony.


  ‘Poppy, when you can, I want you to dismount onto the side of the fence,’ Aunt Sophie said, closer now. Poppy didn’t dare look at her – she was way too busy watching the brumby, not even blinking in case he made a move. ‘Slowly ease off Missy’s back, and climb up and out of the way.’

  Poppy wasn’t so sure she liked the sound of that. What about Missy? What about her halter? What if something happened to her?

  Poppy swallowed away her fears and waited for the brumby to move. The moment he sniffed Missy, she quietly slid off the pony and onto the wooden railings. Then she climbed slowly to the top and sat there, watching.

  ‘Great work,’ Sophie said.

  She met her aunt’s gaze. ‘Thanks. My heart’s hammering away like crazy!’ she gasped, tapping her chest with her injured arm and wincing.

  ‘Oh, Pops, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t even thinking about your arm!’

  ‘It’s fine,’ she replied, happy to be brave and not make a big deal out of it. ‘I’m just worried about Missy. I don’t want the halter slipping down over her head or . . .’

  ‘She’ll be okay,’ Sophie said, climbing up beside her. ‘Mark is going to try and inject the brumby so he’s partially sedated, and then we can get a better look at his mouth.’

  Mark was fast, leaning through the fence and injecting the brumby before he had time to realise what was happening. Storm leapt back, thrashing, and Poppy stifled her own scream when she thought Missy was going to get hurt. But Missy just squealed and kicked out in warning, and Storm retreated.

  ‘I got enough in to slow him down at least,’ Mark told them, climbing up on the other side. ‘I’ll give him a few minutes for it to work, then we’ll attempt to get hold of him and give him some more.’

  Poppy felt like they waited for an eternity before Mark was beckoning for Sophie to come with him. She watched as they both moved into the yard, but the brumby didn’t move and she could see his bottom lip drooping a little, which told her how sleepy he was.

  ‘You do the needle, Soph,’ she heard Mark say in a low voice. ‘Let me clip this rope on, and then . . .’ Sophie expertly slid the needle in, administering more of the sedative, and then Mark leaned in. Poppy gasped, certain something terrible was about to happen.

  ‘Done!’

  Poppy watched as they quietly moved the brumby a few stumbling steps into the cattle crush and secured him. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  ‘It’s safe to come in,’ Mark called out.

  ‘Yeah, come and see, Pops,’ Aunt Sophie said.

  Poppy blew Missy a kiss and reluctantly joined her aunt and uncle. Mark pulled out some tools, including a weird-looking contraption that looked part bridle, part torture machine.

  ‘Let’s hope our little brumby tamer is on to something here,’ Uncle Mark said, fixing a torch to his head and switching it on.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Katie’s voice took Poppy by surprise but she didn’t turn.

  ‘Come see,’ Poppy said quietly, not wanting to alarm Storm. ‘He might have a sore tooth.’

  Poppy watched as Uncle Mark carefully slipped the weird bridle over the brumby’s ears, placing the metal piece against his mouth. She moved closer again, reaching out hesitantly before gently touching the horse. His coat was thicker than Crystal’s, but he was soft and warm and it made her happy to be stroking him, even if he was sedated. All she’d ever wanted was to show him that she loved him, that she cared enough to save him, and she’d been dying to touch him for so long now.

  Mark cranked the tool, which opened the brumby’s mouth wide. He did it some more and Sophie supported the horse’s head from underneath. Storm was so sleepy he couldn’t even hold his head up properly.

  ‘I’m going to check all his teeth to see . . .’

  Uncle Mark stopped talking. He had his arm stuck right up inside the brumby’s mouth.

  ‘What is it?’ Poppy asked.

  ‘Geez, I could smell it before I even saw it,’ Mark said.

  ‘What?’ Poppy asked, leaning in.

  ‘There’s a reason he’s grumpy as hell and not eating,’ he told them. ‘This horse has two infected teeth, what looks like an abscess the size of a golf ball, and wolf teeth that need removing. I don’t know why I didn’t think to check his teeth.’

  ‘So he was in pain?’ Poppy said out loud.

  Uncle Mark stood back and looked from her to Sophie, and then behind them both to where Milly and Katie were standing. ‘Enough to make him hate the world and everyone in it,’ he said with a grimace. ‘Pops, we need to work fast. This horse needs our help, and he needs it today.’

  ‘Milly, come and smell this.’

  ‘Ew!’ Poppy screwed up her nose at Uncle Mark as he held it toward Milly and she got a whiff of it. ‘You are so gross.’

  ‘Seriously, it’s revolting. You need to have a smell,’ Milly moaned to Katie.

  Poppy laughed and moved a little closer. ‘Are you almost done?’

  Her uncle really was disgusting. He was holding the rotten goop-covered tooth up and waving it around.

  ‘Once this is finished, we’re good to go,’ he said, with his hand still in the brumby’s mouth.

  Poppy edged even closer again. She’d gone with the girls to put hay and fresh water in Storm’s yard, and to feed Crystal and the other ponies, which meant they’d missed part of the extraction process for the second tooth, which seemed to be the worst.

  ‘Do you really think this will change him?’ Poppy asked, glancing down at her arm. The bandage was covering what the horse had done to her, but it was starting to hurt again now that the pain relief Sophie had given her had worn off.

  ‘Look, if he’s a grumpy horse who doesn’t want anything to do with anyone, then maybe not,’ Uncle Mark replied. ‘But not many horses are actually born like that, and with infections and pain like he had? My gut tells me it’s going to change him. He’s been a very sick boy.’

  Poppy didn’t want to get too excited, but . . . she bit her bottom lip to stop from grinning. Suddenly all her little dreams about bonding with the wild horse were trickling back into her brain.

  ‘Pops, once he comes out of the sedation, we need to keep an eye on him until he’s steady,’ Aunt Sophie explained. ‘We’re going to leave Missy in the larger yard with him overnight, and then if all goes well, I’ll move them out into the paddock tomorrow together.’

  ‘Great.’ She wanted to see him in a nice paddock just enjoying being a horse.

  ‘They should have a bit of space but not too much, and I have a feeling he won’t want to leave her side, so jumping out shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sure Missy will keep him nice and calm.’

  Poppy thought so too. ‘So I’ll lead Missy and hopefully he’ll follow?’

  ‘Yes, we’ll take it slow and let him make his way behind her,’ Aunt Sophie said. ‘With some encouragement from Milly and Katie chasing them on if need be!’

  Poppy was relieved. Maybe buying the brumby hadn’t been the worst thing in the world.

  In fact, she thought as she stared at him, maybe it hadn’t been her he hated after all.

  ‘Look at Missy!’ Katie blurted.

  Poppy’s attention drifted to the horses, grinning when she saw what Katie had pointed out. Missy was standing beside the brumby without her cover on, scratching him with her teeth, and he was doing the same to her. They were grooming one another, and it made Poppy so excited to see Storm happy instead of moping with his shoulders all hunched up and tense. She owed Missy big-time for babysitting him, and the change in the brumby in less than a day was amazing.

  ‘That’s so cute,’ she whispered as they all stood, side by side, watching the horses interact.

  ‘He looks . . .’ Katie started.

  ‘Happy,’ Milly finished for her. ‘He looks like a totally different horse.’

  ‘Yeah, he does,’ Poppy agreed.

  ‘He looks like you could sneak over quietly and spring up on his back for a ride!’ Milly was wide-eyed, staring at Pop
py now. ‘Don’t you reckon?’

  Poppy sighed. ‘Mils, I’m not about to scare him to death when he’s finally happy! But he’s changed so quickly, I can’t believe it.’

  Katie laughed and Milly looked exasperated. ‘Okay, well, maybe that was a stupid suggestion, but seriously, don’t you think he looks calm and, like, normal? If he made friends with all our horses, you could lead him from Crystal so he could come with us. If he was just following along, then he probably wouldn’t do anything stupid.’

  ‘Um, I think I’ll get him used to being lead around the pen first before taking him out trail riding,’ Poppy replied.

  ‘Milly’s right though. If he’s comfortable with all our horses, he’ll be way less likely to take off or anything. It’ll be awesome when he’s ready,’ Katie added. ‘Imagine in a few months’ time if you can ride him out across the farm with us!’

  ‘And what about Crystal?’ Poppy asked, feeling suddenly sorry for her gorgeous pony. ‘If we all go riding without her, she’ll be left calling out and running the fence line until we get back. She’ll think she’s been forgotten about.’

  ‘You could put her in the stable first? So she doesn’t know,’ Katie said gently. ‘Or how about leading the brumby while you ride Crystal, so they both get to go on the adventure and become friends?’

  Poppy nodded. She chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at her two horses. It was hard to believe that less than a year ago she hadn’t had a horse at all, had even stopped dreaming about ever having one, and now she had two. And only yesterday, Storm had been miserable, and now he looked like a different horse.

  ‘I’m going in,’ she said, marching toward the gate.

  ‘Want us to watch from here?’ Milly called out.

  ‘Yeah, you can make sure he doesn’t try to kill me again!’ Poppy called back, trying to sound like she was joking even though she was silently freaking out.

  ‘Guess it depends on how tasty you were yesterday,’ Milly yelled.